Sports
Duke Basketball – Cooper Flagg is Becoming an Offensive Superstar

Over a month ago, we covered Cooper Flagg’s case as a special prospect despite some early offensive struggles. He’s quickly remedied those issues, growing as a player as Duke’s season has continued. Since conference play began, Flagg’s been the best college basketball player in the country after turning 18 years old in late December.
Flagg’s trials by fire against elite teams and experienced coaches early in the season have led him to this point. In his 10 ACC games, Flagg is averaging 23.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game on a scorching 67.9% true shooting clip, up nearly 20% since before conference play. Against conference opponents, Flagg leads all high-major college players in scoring and box plus-minus (16.7).
His potency as a driver is on full display; Flagg is shooting an elite 74.1% at the rim with a 55.5% free throw rate in ACC play. As Flagg adapts to college defenses, his overwhelming size, first step and burgeoning handle have let him thrive as a half-court offensive engine for the Blue Devils.
Cooper Flagg half court offensive stuff pic.twitter.com/YXBZ3wM4it
— bjpfclips (@bjpfclips) January 31, 2025
He’s still Duke’s highest-usage offensive player (32.8%), taking on the highest burden on that end of the floor. Despite seeing constant defensive attention, Flagg has managed efficient high-scoring performances. He scored above 20 points in eight of his 10 conference games so far and reached double digits in all of them.
Flagg spends most of his offensive time as a creator. According to Synergy, 37.4% of Flagg’s time on the court comes via “creation” play types (isolations, pick and rolls, post-ups). He doesn’t receive nearly as high a volume of easy buckets as most freshmen, especially ones as young as him.
His creation, especially on drives, amplifies Flagg’s passing skill. Excellent vision and processing speed contribute to his upside as a creator. In conference play, Flagg’s posting an excellent 28.7% assist rate with a 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio. Flagg spots interior passes and when his handle holds up, he can fire some impressive passes off of the dribble.
Cooper Flagg interior passing vision pic.twitter.com/XlVjiF6Ytc
— bjpfclips (@bjpfclips) January 31, 2025
Before the start of Flagg’s conference games, he’d made just 24.4% of his 3-point attempts. He’s on a 3-point heater in conference play, converting 42.1% of his 7.1 threes per 100 possessions. Flagg’s positive shooting indicators — volume, touch and free throw shooting — suggested the shooting jump we’ve seen from Flagg.
Flagg likely won’t shoot above 42% from deep in the NBA, but his conference shooting efficiency should be closer to his true shooting ability. He has only expanded his shot versatility, sprinting off of movement and shooting off of the dribble with more comfort than ever.
He must continue tightening his handle and working on his decision-making on drives, but Flagg is well on his way to primary creator status one day in the NBA. Players as young, productive and physically gifted as Flagg tend to work out. Beyond Flagg’s elite defensive and play finishing, his offensive ceiling makes Flagg the clear-cut top prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft.